Direct-draft road and ditching machine



(No Model.)

v v H. c. MOORE.

DIRECT DRAFT ROAD AND DITGHING MACHINE. No. 365,845. Patented July 5,1887.

fiTTEET; INUENTUB N. PETERs Phuto-Lilhngnphur, Washin ton. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY G. MOORE, OF TAMA CITY, IOWA.

DIRECT-DRAFT ROAD AND DITCHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,845, dated July 5,18fi7.

Application filed March 12, 1887. Serial No. 280,633. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY O. MOORE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Tama City, in the county of Tama and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a Direct-Draft Road andDitching Machine; and I do hereby declare the follow ing to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the construction andcombination of parts of the direct-draft road and ditching machineprovided with a reversible scraper, for which I filed application forLetters Patent July 6, 1886, Serial No. 207,251.

One object of my invention is to provide improved means for governingthe movement and position of the draft beams and chain of a scraper inadjusting and reversing the same.

A further object of my invention is to provide improved means for theconvenient connection and disconnection of the beams to and from astationary draft-iron, said means being simple and effective in theirconstruction and operation.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein the same letters of reference indicate the same parts,and in which-*- Figure 1 is a detail perspective view of a reversiblescraper and it connections, with part of my improvements shown inconnection therewith. Fig. 2' is a top plan view of a portion of theconnections of a reversible scraper,

showing my improvements in full in connection therewith. Fig. 3 is aside elevation of a portion of the same, the axle-tree being in section;and Fig. 4. is an end view of a crosspiece of the main frame above, withthe disconnecting-lever mounted thereon.

A indicates a reversible or adjustable scraper, and B a portion of thefront axle, of a direct-draft road or ditching machine. The scraper A issecured to draft-beams b b, and to the forward ends of said beams thedraftchain b is attached. This chain passes around the shaft orking-bolt d, which may be provided with an anti-friction roller for theengagement of said chain, if found necessary or desirable. The king-bolt (1 passes through the with the guides or sleeves a a, throughwhich the draftbeams b b and chain 1) are moved. These guides or sleevesa a are constructed of plates of metal of sufficient strength to resistthe weight falling upon them, and they are in the form of what may betermed irregularlyshaped channels provided with sides of considerableheight and converging somewhat toward their front ends, with widecentrally grooved bottoms, and with wide open mouths at their rear ends,having drooping lips. These guides or sleeves, as stated, are formedintegrally with the sheaths a a which surround the shanks a a of thedraftiron a; or they may be provided with short cross bars or straps forbracing and retaining said shanks in position, whereby a sure connectionbetween said sleeves and the draft-iron is maintained.

A bar, 0, is placed across and looselyupon the sheaths a a of the guidesor sleeves a a, and is arranged between the turned-up ends a a of thedraft-iron, shanks a a and the front ends of the said guides or sleeves,and beneath one of the beams b b and the chain 2). To the ends of thisbarc chains 0' c are attached, which are united by a ring, 0, to whichis secured by suitable connections a treadle lever mounted on the frameabove. The chains c c, as shown, are attached to the ends of the bar 0outside of one of the draft-beams b b and of the chain 1), and therebyprevent said bar from working horizontally out of place.

To the rear side of the axle-tree B is secured an eye, 0, as shown inFigs. 2 and 3, through which one end of a chain, 6, attached to thebottom of the bar 0, passes and connects with a spiral spring, a,secured at the center of the cross-bar. This bar 6 rests upon and isconnected to the sheaths which inclose the shanks of the draft-iron a bysuitable staples.

' In reversing the scraper the eye on the front end of one of thedraft-beams b b is drawn by the chain b, which connects the two beams,

sistance.

into the mouth of one of the guides or sleeves a a. Then,as the channelof the said guide or sleeve narrows toward its front end,the eye of saidbeam rises over the lip and sloping sides thereof until said eye passesto the rear of. the sides of said guide or sleeve. This brings the eyedirectly over one of the turned-up ends a of the shanks of thedraft-iron a, upon which it drops by gravity and steadily holds thescraper at the desired angle of adjustment.

When it is desired to disconnect either of the draft-beams b b from theturned-up ends a a of the shanks-of the draft-iron a, the bar 0 israised by a treadle-lever, c, mounted upon the main frame of themachine, and with itis also raised the beam and chain, thus releasingsaid beam from said upturned ends a a of said draft-iron. This raisingof the parts named causes a downward draft upon the chain c, which isattached at one end to the bar 0 and at the other end to thespring e",secured to the bar a. Itis obvious that as said chain 6 passes throughthe'fixed loop a on the axle the spring e, which connects said chain andthe bar 6', will gently draw said bar downward as the barb is raised,and that the shanks a a of the draft-iron will be correspondinglydepressed by said bar 6 resting thereon. The depression of thedraft-iron and its shanks is permitted, thus effecting readydisconnection of the draft-beams, and with little frictional re- Whenthe treadle-lever 0" above is released, the parts resume their normalpositions, as will be readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. In adirect-draft road or ditching machine, the combination of thedraft-iron, the draft-beams, the chain, the adjustable scraper or plow,and conducting guides or sleeves which act as keepers for said beams andchain during the adjustment of the scraper, substantially as described.

2. In a direct-draft road or ditching machine, the combination of anadjustable scraper A, the conducting-sleeves a a, the draftbeams b b,the chain b, and the front draft-iron,

a, of the disconnectingbar c, the chains 0 0, chain 6, the eye 6, thespiral spring c and the bar 6, substantially as described.

5. In a direct-draft road and ditching machine, the combination of areversible scraper, the draft-beams having eyes in their front ends,

xthe draft-chain, and the draft-iron provided with shanks havingupturned ends, and the conducting sleeves or guides formed asdescribed,whereby when said scraper isbrought into proper reversedposition an automatic connection of the eyes of the beams with theupturned ends of the shanks of said draft-iron is effected,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY O. MOORE.

Witnesses:

OHARLEsS. HYER, L. SEWARD BACON.

